1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to umbrellas and more particularly, to an umbrella having a foldable canopy which is suspended in cantilever fashion from a support post rotatably mounted in a base and is capable of being positioned at a selected location in an imaginary circle defined by the orbit of the canopy around the support post for shelter against rain or sunlight. In a preferred embodiment the cantilever umbrella includes a base typically characterized by a concrete base block having a vertical tubular post seat mounted therein and a rectangular base plate mounted on the base block. The support post is rotatably mounted in the post seat of the base, and a support arm extends in angular relationship from the support post and includes a descending vertical segment on which a canopy support sleeve is mounted. Multiple canopy support ribs are pivotally mounted on the canopy support sleeve in radially-extending relationship therefrom, and the canopy is mounted on the canopy support ribs. A spreader strut is pivotally attached at one end thereof to each corresponding canopy support rib, and the other end of each spreader strut is pivotally mounted on a common strut support sleeve. A winch is mounted on the support post, and a cable having one end attached to the winch engages a pulley provided on the strut support sleeve. The canopy of the umbrella is deployed in the open configuration by winding the cable on the winch and thus causing the cable to lift the pulley and attached strut support sleeve as the spreader struts pivot outwardly on the strut support sleeve and respective canopy support ribs and the canopy support ribs pivot outwardly on the canopy support sleeve. The canopy is deployed in the closed position by unwinding the cable from the winch. A specially-designed lock mechanism is provided on the support post for selectively engaging the base and preventing inadvertent rotation of the support post in the base.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of umbrellas which are mounted in cantilever fashion on a support structure are known in the art. Typical of these is the xe2x80x9cCollapsible Umbrellaxe2x80x9d, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,258, dated May 26, 1992, to Vennik. The Vennik umbrella is characterized by a support arm which extends from a support post and has a canopy frame mounted on the support arm for supporting a canopy in cantilever configuration on the support post. A winch is provided on the support post for raising the support arm on the support post, and this action causes a cable attached to the support post to retract a control rod of the canopy frame into the support arm and deploy the canopy in the open configuration. Lowering the support arm on the support post extends the control rod from the support arm and causes the canopy to close. U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,644, dated Mar. 19, 1996, to Henry Geniele, details a xe2x80x9cSunshade Assemblyxe2x80x9d including a vertical stand having a lower segment mounted in a base and an upper segment rotatably mounted on the lower segment. A top ring is provided on the bottom end of the upper segment, and a bottom ring is provided on the top end of the lower segment. A sunshade covering or umbrella mounted in cantilever configuration on the upper segment can be easily adjusted to any of multiple positions around the stand, by rotating the upper segment on the lower segment of the stand and extending a lock pin through registering openings provided in the respective top and bottom rings. An xe2x80x9cUmbrellaxe2x80x9d is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,585, dated Oct. 21, 1997, to May. The umbrella is characterized by an upright mast the upper end of which slidably receives an elongated boom, and a canopy is pivotally mounted on the extending end of the boom, in cantilever fashion The boom can be pivoted on the mast and the canopy folded and pivoted on the boom to facilitate a storage position of the umbrella. U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,302, dated April 7, 1998, to Saliva, describes an xe2x80x9cAdjustable Hanging Sunshade Umbrellaxe2x80x9d including a side standard; a transverse arm joined to the side standard in cantilevered fashion; a central rod, support and operation mechanism for a protective covering connected to the central rod; and a position-adjusting device adapted to cause rotation of the central rod relative to the axis of the transverse arm and lock it to the desired inclination of the protective covering. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,069, dated Jul. 28, 1998, to Glatz, discloses a xe2x80x9cStanding Umbrellaxe2x80x9d having a mast on which the inner end of an outwardly and inwardly movable carrier beam is guided with the outer end of the beam carrying an umbrella stick of a collapsible umbrella and with the carrier beam held by a connecting strut linkedly arranged between the upper end of the mast and the carrier beam. A drive mechanism shifts the inner end of the carrier beam along the length of the mast and the mast has two guide tracks spaced from one another and so profiled such that guide elements running therealong and carried by the inner end of the mast are held by the shape of the tracks against movement transversely to the direction in which the inner end of the carrier beam is shifted. A xe2x80x9cDemountable Structurexe2x80x9d is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,665, dated Dec. 8, 1998, to Koehn. The structure includes a shade having a flexible cover attached to multiple support arms which are movable from a lowered position in which the cover is in a storage configuration and a raised position in which the cover is in an operative shading configuration. A support mechanism having a mounting base and a support structure upstanding from the mounting base extends in part above the shade for for supporting the shade in cantilever configuration from the mounting base. Multiple cables are connected to respective ones of the support arms and disposed above the cover for maintaining the cover in the operative shading configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,806, dated Oct. 5, 1999, to Steiner, describes a xe2x80x9cParasolxe2x80x9d, having a canopy which is supported in cantilever fashion from a support post.
An object of this invention is to provide a cantilever umbrella which is rotatably mounted in cantilever configuration in a base and can be positioned at a selected location in an imaginary circle defined by the orbit of the umbrella for shelter against rain or sunlight.
Another object of this invention is to provide a cantilever umbrella characterized by a support post which is rotatably mounted in a base and a foldable umbrella canopy mounted in cantilever configuration on the support post, which canopy can be deployed at a selected position in an imaginary circle defined by the orbit of the canopy around the support post by rotating and locking the support post in the base.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a cantilever umbrella characterized by a support post and an umbrella canopy mounted in cantilever configuration on the support post, which canopy can be selectively deployed in open and closed configurations by operation of a winch mounted on the support post.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a cantilever umbrella characterized by a support post mounted in a base; a support arm extending from the support post; a canopy support sleeve mounted on the support arm; multiple canopy support ribs pivotally mounted on the canopy support sleeve in radially-extending relationship therefrom; a canopy mounted on the canopy support ribs; a spreader strut pivotally mounted on each canopy support rib, each spreader strut pivotally mounted on a common strut support sleeve; a pulley mounted on the strut support sleeve; a winch mounted on the support post; and a cable extending from the winch and engaging the pulley, which canopy is selectively deployed in opened and closed configurations by operation of the winch, whereby the cable raises the strut support sleeve, the spreader struts pivot outwardly in concert on the strut support sleeve, and the canopy support ribs pivot outwardly on the respective spreader struts and the canopy support sleeve and the canopy is opened as the cable is wound on the winch, and whereby the strut support sleeve is lowered and the canopy is deployed in the folded or closed configuration by unwinding the cable from the winch.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a cantilever umbrella having a folding umbrella canopy which is mounted in cantilever configuration on a rotatable support post and can be positioned at a selected location in an imaginary circle surrounding the support post for shelter against rain or sunlight, which cantilever umbrella includes a base characterized by a typically concrete base block, a base plate mounted on the base block typically by means of multiple anchor bolts and a tubular post seat extending through the base block beneath the base plate, which support post is rotatably mounted in the post seat of the base; an umbrella canopy mounted in cantilever fashion on the support post; a post lock collar fitted with a pair of spaced-apart post lock flanges mounted on the support post above the base plate; and a lock plate fitted with multiple plate notches slidably mounted on the support post, wherein inadvertent rotation of the support post in the base is selectively prevented by lowering the lock plate onto the base plate between the anchor bolts while inserting the post lock flanges of the post lock collar in respective plate notches of the lock plate, and the support post is unlocked in the base for rotation therein and selective positioning of the umbrella canopy by lifting the lock plate from the base plate to remove the post lock flanges from the plate notches, and resting the lock plate on the anchor bolts.
These and other objects of the invention are provided in a cantilever umbrella having a folding canopy which is mounted in cantilever fashion on a vertical support post rotatably mounted in a base and can be deployed at selected positions in an imaginary circle defined by the orbit of the canopy around the support post for shelter against rain or sunlight. In a preferred embodiment the base is characterized by a typically concrete base block, a base plate mounted on the base block typically by means of multiple anchor bolts and a tubular post seat extending through the base block beneath the base plate. The support post is rotatably mounted in the post seat, and a support arm extends in angular relationship from the support post. A canopy support sleeve is mounted on a descending vertical segment of the support arm, and multiple canopy support ribs which support the canopy are pivotally mounted on the canopy support sleeve in radially-extending relationship therefrom. Multiple spreader struts are each pivotally attached at one end thereof to the corresponding canopy support rib, and the other end of each spreader strut is pivotally mounted on a common strut support sleeve. A winch is mounted on the support post, and a cable attached to the winch engages a pulley provided on the strut support sleeve. The canopy of the umbrella is deployed in the open configuration by rotating the winch handle to wind the cable on the winch and thus cause the cable to lift the pulley and attached strut support sleeve as the spreader struts pivot outwardly on the strut support sleeve and respective canopy support ribs and the canopy support ribs pivot outwardly on the canopy support sleeve. A post lock collar fitted with a pair of spaced-apart post lock flanges is mounted on the support post above the base plate of the base, and a lock plate fitted with multiple plate notches is slidably mounted on the support post. Inadvertent rotation of the support post in the base is selectively prevented by lowering the lock plate onto the base plate between the anchor bolts while inserting the post lock flanges of the post lock collar in respective plate notches of the lock plate. The support post is unlocked in the base for rotation therein as desired for re-positioning of the umbrella canopy around the support post, by lifting the lock plate from the base plate to remove the post lock flanges from the plate notches, and resting the lock plate on the anchor bolts.